Attachment for pistons for internal combustion engines



Feb. 27, 1940. w HQWSER 2,191,854

ATTACHMENT FOR PiSTONS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Wnllei' M Howaer Feb. 27, 1940. w. M. HOWSER 2,191,854

ATTACHMENT FOR PISTONS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Dec. 21, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Walfa Han/sear Patented Feb. 27; 1 940 ATTACHMENT FOR PISTONS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Walter M. HowsenAnder-son, Ind., assignor to t William H. Fors'e, Anderson, Ind.

Application December 21, 1937', Serial No. 181,048

2 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in attachment for pistons for internal combustion engines.

The primary object of this invention is to provide means within the piston of an internal combustion engine for engaging the walls of the working cylinder thereby preventing excessive vi bration of the piston within the cylinder and preventing the resultant sound produced by what is 6* known in the art as piston slap.

A further object of this invention is 'to provide a device of the above mentioned character which includes a spring bent to form curved arm portions connected by a curved intermediate porn tion' shaped to conform to the inner wall of the engine cylinder.

, A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned charac ter comprising a spring or resilient member bent insuch a manner as to avoid contact with the wrist pin bosses and out of the path of the connecting rod during. operation of the engine.-

Other objects and advantages of the invention Wl11 become apparentduring the course of the a following description, taken with the drawings,

and wherein: I

Figure 1 tea vertical cross-sectional view of an I internal combustion engine illustrating an em bodiment of the invention as applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1,-looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the contour of the spring member and'showing the manner in which the ends extend through the piston wall in openings which are present in many of the pistons employed in present-day motor cars; t

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the spring device showing the same greatly enlargedto illustrate the details thereof;

Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of an engine piston illustrating a modified form of the invention as applied thereto;

Figure 5 is a vertical fragmentary cross-sectional view of an engine piston showing the expansion or spring device mounted above the wrist pin bosses;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the modified form of the invention showing the same detached from Figure 10 is a still further modified form of the invention showing the same applied to a con-' ventional piston construction.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustrating the invention and wherein like reference characters will be employed to designate like parts throughout the same, the reference character 5 will generally be employed in Figures 1 to 3 inclusiveto represent a piston having a head portion 6 and the usual piston rings I.

The piston 5 also includes a skirted portion 8 having opposite bosses 9 for receiving a wrist pin Hi. -In pistons of this type wherein an expansion skirt 8 is provided, slots H are formed between the juncture of the piston head andthe skirt to allow for expansion andcontractio-n. v

The invention comprises an expansion spring I2 including curved arm portions l3 connected by an arcuately curved portion l4 while the free ends as at 85 are slightly bent in order to hook into one of the slots ll. Offset portions l6 are interposed between arcuately curved portion I4 and the ton skirt and engage the inner cylinder wall.

It will be noted that the bent free ends l5 do not extend clear through the slot II and do not portion 6' and the usual piston packing rings 1. l

The head portion 6' is provided with a skirt 8' similar to the piston shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and is I also provided with wrist pin bosses 9.

Slots H are formed between the skirt 8 and head portion 6' in the usual manner, also similar to Figs. 1 and 2.

The modified form of the invention includes a pair of parallel spring arms I3 connected at one end by an arcuately curved portion I4 which conmeets the parallel spring arms I 3 by means of offset portions It. The free. ends of the spring arms l3 are bent away from each other as. at.

l5 and are provided with foot portions l1 adapted to contact the cylinder wall at spaced apart joints.

It will be noted that the arcuately curved portion I4 is adapted to enter one of the slots H and extend therethrough a short distance so as to engage the cylinder wall and hold the piston in a true vertical plane. the spring arms i3 engage the cylinder walls at the points l'! to further aid in maintaining the piston parallel with the sides of the cylinder wall during operation of the engine. It will be noted that the cylinder wall engaging portions ll also assist in centering the spring device by reason of, the fact that they engage the ends of the slots I I to prevent the rotation of the spring device relative to the piston.

It is also to be noted that the parallel spring arms 53 are slightly bowed when, viewed from a In Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, a piston 5" is provided with a head 6" having the usual packing rings l" to prevent loss of compression.v The head 6 is provided with a split skirt portion 8" having slots ll similar to the slot shown in Figs. 1 and 5. A wrist pin ill" is carried by the piston skirt in suitable opposed bosses for supporting a connecting rod 25 having a bearing 26".. The invention comprises, in its modified form, opposite curved spring members [3" connected at one end as at M" adapted to engage the inner wall of the piston skirt 8 to expand and urge the piston toward one wall of the cylinder in which the piston reciprocates. The opposite curved spring members it have their free ends l5" curved inwardly and bent as at l6" to form meeting foot members ll". When the spring is in position as shown in Fig. 7 the foot portions I?" embrace the connecting rod 25" and assist in forcing the piston toward one wall of the cylinder.

i nected to the head 6" at opposite points, leaving slots H' for the purpose of expansion and contraction of the skirt 8". The skirt is provided The opposite end of with awrist pin 1' in the same manner asthe piston shown in the above described figures and is adapted to support a connecting rod 25"'-by opposite end thereof will be seated upon and engage a boss 29" formed onvthe inner wall of the piston skirt 8 In this construction, the spring 28" will urge the piston skirt 8" intolen gagement with the cylinder wall in which the piston reciprocates and will prevent piston slap,

resulting from undersized pistons or worn cylinders.

It is to be notedQthat the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope 'of theinvention as claimed.

I claim: V

1. In combination with a hollow piston having circumferentially extending opposite slots in the side wall thereof, an expansion spring member having its ends mounted in said slots, one of said ends terminating inwardly of the outer face of I the hollow piston and the other of said ends being curved and extending through the slot be-v yond the outer face of the hollow piston for engagement with the'wall of a cylinder for centering the piston during its reciprocal moveand skirt portions, anexpansible spring member comprising a pair of parallel arms connected at corresponding ends by an arcuately curved, portion 'adapted to extend through" one of th e slots for contact with a cylinder wall and anchor portions forthe spring member formed on the other ends of the parallel arms adapted to be seated in the opposite slot and disposed inwardlyv of theouter face of the head and skirt.

WALTER vr. HoWsEa. 

